MOORHEAD — Chris Mortenson's great-great-grandparents came to South Dakota from Norway in 1882 in search of better economic opportunity. Mortensen hiked that 66-mile last leg of their journey last summer as a way to transcend time, connect to his roots and make art.

FARGO — The Impact Foundation has high hopes to more than double last year's 22,000 donors this Giving Hearts Day on Thursday, Feb. 8. The 24-hour online give-a-thon that has raised more than $40 million since it started is aiming for 50,000 donors this year, according to Executive Director Pat Traynor.

FARGO — North Dakota and Minnesota both have room for improvement in their efforts to curb tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, according to an American Lung Association report issued Wednesday, Jan. 24. The group gave each state a letter grade in several categories, including smoke-free air, tobacco taxes and the legal age for buying tobacco products. North Dakota received an A for smoke-free air but got an F for its tobacco taxes. The tax on a pack of cigarettes in North Dakota is 44 cents, the third lowest in the nation, the report said.

BISMARCK — A blue alert issued by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services on Thursday, Jan. 18, revealed problems within the state's public alert system. The alert was sent to residents' phones across the state for help finding 22-year-old Ulises Villalobos, who authorities said tried to drive over a Bismarck police officer. The incident happened at 10:55 a.m., but the alert didn't go out until 1:39 p.m.

FARGO — Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity welcomed Danielle John's family on Thursday, Jan. 18, to their new north Fargo home near downtown that was built to honor Fargo Police Officer Jason Moszer Habitat for Humanity volunteers, including Moszer's widow, Rachel Moszer, helped build the new house where the home of the shooter who shot and killed Moszer in February 2016 once stood on Ninth Avenue North.

LINTON, N.D. — Linton High School in south-central North Dakota is facing scrutiny from a civil rights organization for letting a Christian motivational speaking group hold events there Wednesday, Jan 10. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sent a letter to Paul Keeney, superintendent of Linton Public Schools, saying such events pose "special constitutional concerns vis-a-vis governmental promotion of religion."

FARGO — Windblown snow made it so hard for drivers to see on 19th Avenue North that city officials on Thursday, Jan. 11, closed part of the road, which is vulnerable to wind and snowdrifts. The closure between Dakota Drive and 18th Street lasted from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It was a stark reminder of a blizzard in February 1984 that killed 23 people in North Dakota and Minnesota, four of whom died on that particular stretch of road.